1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preventing recurrence of carcinoma and cancer over a long term and preparations containing activated lymphocytes for preventing recurrence of carcinoma and cancer over a long term, and more particularly to a long-term prophylactic method and longterm prophylactic preparations capable of preventing recurrence of carcinoma and cancer over a span of at least five years or more.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The inventors of the present invention have already reported that lymphocytes can be proliferated with solid-phase anti-CD3 antigen and interleukin 2 so as to have an antitumor function. (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure HEI 3-80076(A))
The report makes it clear that the lymphocytes have the effectiveness of preventing recurrence of cancer and improving antitumor activation within about one to two years. However, even if the lymphocytes are solely used, recurrence of cancer cannot substantially be prevented with clinical significance over a long term of five years or more, on the basis of which an assessment of the therapeutic value of the lymphocytes is made.
Further, the report-indicates that use of the activated lymphocytes enables prevention of recurrence of cancer. However, a long-term prevention of recurrence of carcinoma cannot be guaranteed in the report.
There have been known medical techniques of proliferating lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood or the like with anti-CD3 antigen and interleukin 2 to be effective against pulmonary carcinoma in chemotherapy and freezing the lymphocytes so as to thaw and proliferate the frozen lymphocytes in use. S. A. Rosenberg reported that LAK cells activated with interleukin 2 has antitumor activity, but has not clarified on whether or not the LAK cells have a function of preventing recurrence of carcinoma.
However, the efficacy of preventing recurrence of carcinoma and the antitumor activity last only for a short period of about two years according to the conventional treatment using the activated lymphocytes as described above. Even by taking surgical or chemotherapeutic treatment or radiotherapy along with administration of the activated lymphocytes, the efficacy of preventing recurrence of carcinoma could not last to five or more years. Although chemotherapeutic agents or preparations, which have been widely used as most popular therapeutic measures effective against cancer, generally have an antitumor efficacy (function of diminishing cancer), they have little therapeutic value of preventing recurrence of carcinoma without producing harmful side effects.